THE fiasco over the status of play areas in Selby (September 30) has arisen because for years Selby District Council failed in its legal duty to provide them.

Rather than let kids in the town go without any play provision, Selby Town Council stepped in some years ago and with the agreement of the district council, funded, installed and maintained play equipment on most of the play areas in Selby.

It is also the town council (not the district) who have been paying for the repair or, where necessary, the removal of equipment damaged by mindless vandalism.

At that time, it was agreed that the district council would sort out the legal issues, so that the town council would lease these areas from the district.

You could say that the town council was, in effect, doing the district council's job for them.

It is therefore totally insulting for the district council leader Mark Crane to suggest that the previous agreement no longer stands, and that we should "re-apply" for a lease!

If that is the case, why hasn't his council been managing the play equipment?

When it suits him the agreement is in place, and when it doesn't suit him it's not.

It's little wonder that the town council has lost patience with the district when instead of thanking the town council for saving them money, they put obstacles in our path.

Fred Matthews,

Selby Town Councillor,

Doncaster Road,

Selby.

Updated: 10:39 Monday, October 04, 2004